Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

The chief executives of H&M, Gap Inc. and five other apparel companies are urging world leaders to agree to a strong climate change deal because they fear global warming will drive up their costs by having a negative impact on cotton production, Reuters reported. [Reuters]

Retailers are paying more and offering more incentives to secure experienced in-store help to increase sales

At least that’s according to a new survey by Korn Ferry Hay Group, a leading global hiring and organizational advisory firm.

It’s no wonder so many shoppers were not impressed with some of the big holiday deals being offered by big retailers this past week.

Despite significant investments by many retailers, U.S. consumers are unsatisfied with the levels of customer service offered this holiday season.

According to the new 2015 Retail Holiday Customer Experience study from customer engagement solutions provider Eptica, 35% of consumers are unhappy with the online experience. This figure rises to 40% in store.

Retailers are paying more and offering more incentives to secure experienced in-store help to increase sales.

It’s no wonder so many shoppers were not impressed with some of the big holiday deals being offered by big retailers this past week.

Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Jet did not heavily discount most popular products and prices actually increased in key categories after Black Friday, cementing a perception that the two celebrated shopping days are waning in importance, according to research from Boomerang Commerce, which aggregated and analyzed online price discounts and price perception for 1,000 popular products sold by Walmart, Target, Amazon and Jet.

Millennials shop differently than their parents, but when it comes to the end result, they are looking for the same thing: a great deal.

According to the Blackhawk Engagement Solutions’ “Millennials Disrupt Shopping” report, based on two separate surveys of 500 millennial consumers each, smartphones are a dominant method of connection to the web for millennials, with 89% using them to connect to the Internet. This compares to 75% using laptops, 45% using tablets and 37% using desktop computers.

In-store sales declines over Black Friday weekend had many analysts buzzing about the future of brick and mortar. But an expert in store traffic cautioned that the declines should be taken with a grain of salt.

“It’s important to view the decrease in context,” said Bill Martin, founder, ShopperTrak.

Martin noted that where are several contributing factors, including fewer available store hours on Thanksgiving Day and a later Hanukah that is anticipated to push sales into December.